Charting the story of Falkirk’s wartime fallen

The Friends have commissioned mainly local firms to carry out important improvement work at the Dollar Park memorial.
A key element will be the inclusion of the names of all the local men who died in the world wars. — The Friends have commissioned mainly local firms to carry out important improvement work at the Dollar Park memorial. A key element will be the inclusion of the names of all the local men who died in the world wars.

As reported in the Falkirk Herald the Friends aim to record the names of all the local men who died in both world wars, and have launched a fundraising campaign to support a major upgrade of the memorial in Dollar Park.

Around 2,000 local men were killed in the 1914-18 and 1939-45 conflicts, of which some 1,500 died in the Great War, but a definitive final list of names will rely on people coming forward with information.

While many enlisted in units which recruited heavily in and around Falkirk, notably the Argylls, local men enlisted in all of the services and in every part of the country.

Some also joined Commonwealth forces in countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand - for example Slamannan man Samuel Frickleton VC (who survived the Great War to pass away in 1971) fought with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli and later with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in France.

Others who may have died while serving with Canadian Scottish units, ANZACS or South African corps (for example) may still remain little-known outside their own immediate families.

For more information about the Friends’ initiative, or to make a donation to their campaign, visit https://falkirkwarmemorial.org/